Interview: Overkill's The Walking Dead Producer Talks Future Content

Overkill's The Walking Dead is a 4 player co-op survival shooter set in the universe of The [...]

Overkill's The Walking Dead is a 4 player co-op survival shooter set in the universe of The Walking Dead. Heavily inspired by Robert Kirkman's work, the creator of the graphic novel series, this online game is one of those that is perfect for fans of the zombie genre as well as those looking for a way to enjoy their favourite franchise in between episodes of the hit AMC television series.

I recently sat down with the game's producer, Saul Gascon, to talk about the game. For those that want a co-op experience that lasts, he assures me that's exactly what we're going to get and that the power really is in the hands of fans.

When I asked him what their long term plans were for the game, it was very clear that they approached this game similarly to that of their previous hit with Payday 2. "Content as it's demanded" and never by a deadline, their philosophy towards gaming is definitely one that adapts to players themselves because these are the games they want to be playing.

As far as future content goes, they will add pretty much whatever players want - which was evident with Payday 2. "This is how we build games, we never talk about deadlines. We like to talk about 'lifelines'," he told me. "We launch the game, and then the real game starts."

"If it's a trend and the players want this, then we'll add it to the game." He went on to talk about how that was the driving factor behind the "hundreds" of updates Payday 2 received, that their philosophy towards game creation really spirals off of player wants and desires. Which, let's be real, is pretty freaking cool.

"I love the game, give me content," is the attitude of the developers and is a similar attitude seen in their player base. I even casually mentioned during the interview that I'd love controller support, which hadn't previously been a part of the plan, and he immediately notated it and mentioned they would add it in immediately because "that's the feedback we need." It's pretty great, and that passion was definitely reflected in the game itself despite its simplicity.

One thing that is exciting however for The Walking Dead comic fans is that this isn't a thrown together game to piggy back off of the show's success, and it's not meant to replace any of the narratives in the running series. Instead, the story is set within the timeline but open for interpretation. Speaking with the team themselves, they mentioned that they worked very closely with the comics' creator to make sure they created a completely authentic experience that stayed true to the source material without stepping on toes.

Because of that, future content is limitless. The sky really is the limit for what this game has in store for its players.

Overall, the demo was fun. The gaming market is currently oversaturated with the "zombie niche" so I'll admit to having very low expectations when I went in. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had and that was in large part to the different aspects that went into a successful play run, as well as the awesome communications my team had between our crew here at ComicBook and some of the team members over at Don't Feed the Gamers. The developer we played with even said he had a blast as we alternated which roles we fit into. Who knew I was a medic style!? That's not my usual MO in these types of games, but it fit perfectly. It was fun, definitely an experience meant to be played with friends but when in a solid group - this game is absolutely delightful in the bloodiest way possible.

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